HideMyAss Review

In this HideMyAss review, we’ll talk about privacy, security, price-tags, streaming, torrenting, and more. Our team of experts put the service through a series of tests and is happy to share the results with you. While it isn’t perfect, HideMyAss is, most certainly, a worthy pick.

Features

Price starts from

$6.99

Devices per license

5

Privacy and security features

AES 256-bit, OpenVPN

Torrenting, Netflix, HBO

Money Back Guarantee

30 days

Setup time

-

Mobile app

Server Locations

190+

Number of servers

850+

Number of IP Addresses

-

Does VPN keep logs

Usability and Support

24/7 live chat, FAQ, Knowledge Base

Best For

-

Platforms

Windows, Mac, Android, Linux, IOS

The company was founded in 2005, and have been in the business for 13 years. It is known as one of the largest and most respected providers, HMA makes sure to deliver the best experience for potential clients. Recently, HideMyAss became a part of Avast and now offers its service to 400+ million users. The HQ is located in the United Kingdom, a country known for its strict online privacy laws.

The UK is a part of the Five-Eyes intelligence alliance – a digital all-seeing eye. So, if you’re a private person and can’t stand the thought of government agencies watching every move you make on the Internet, this might excite you. The good news is – HideMyAss comes with an impressive list of servers available around the globe. Right now, the users have access to 890 servers in 280+ locations (190 countries in total).

While the number of servers might not be that huge, the fact that you have 190 countries to choose from is fantastic. HMA can simultaneously protect up to five devices at once, covering your home desktop computer, phone, mobile gadgets, etc. Along with Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS, the service also supports Linux.

HideMyAss – The Best Pick For a Modern-Day User

With so many Virtual Private Networks available today, it’s tough to make the right pick. How does an average user know which service will fit his/her needs best? In this HideMyAss review, we’ll tell you everything there is to know about one of the best offers on the market. We’ll go through its privacy policy, security algorithms, protocols, all the features this product comes with, and more.

Sometimes, what we need is an all-around robust, capable network that will cover our basic needs. Will you be able to use torrents, your favorite streaming services, and turn into a digital ghost with this VPN? Will everything run smoothly and will the connection speed always be above average? Read this review, and you’ll find answers to every single question!

As you can see, HideMyAss has more pros than cons, and that’s why it’s a first-class product. For some users, the fact that the privacy policy is not 100% pro-user is disappointing; for others, that’s tolerable. With impressive and stable speeds, a vast number of server locations, and affordable price-tags, HMA has a very competitive offer. As the company officials claim, it’s a package deal, and that is the best way to describe it.

We’ll talk about every single pro and con in more details later. For now, let us just say that this is a very consistent and trustworthy VPN that puts its clients first. It doesn’t go behind their backs and has a very clear (but, sadly, not very friendly) privacy policy. The fact that you can use it for accessing geo-restricted content is a big pro.

Privacy and Security

We already talked about the fact that HideMyAss is located in the United Kingdom. That means the company is obligated to give government agencies access to any logs they keep. In a situation like this, the logging policy becomes extremely important. If they don’t have anything to share with the third eyes, you don’t have to worry about them getting their hands on your personal data! Read more about this in the “HideMyAss Logging Policy” chapter.

We’re happy to say that security in HMA deserves a heads up. First of all, it is on par with the likes of ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and PureVPN (which are considered to be the leaders in the field). Secondly, the service packs some industry-leading features and protocols.

Encryption and Protocols

This VPN comes with the so-called “Military Encryption” (also known as the AES 256-bit encryption). It is impenetrable and will make sure your computer/mobile device is well-defended 24/7. And, it supports all of the major VPN protocols. Those include OpenVPN (the most advanced and secure protocol), PPTP, and L2TP/IPSec; OpenVPN is the one you should go with.

Special Features

Along with implementing all the latest encryption and protocols, HideMyAss is also known for its impressive list of special features. They are doing a great job of further improving security. Here is a list of the most noticeable additional features. True, the list isn’t as impressive as, say, with PureVPN (there’s no Split Tunneling or malware blocking), but still good enough:

Kill Switch (application-based)

Unlimited Bandwidth

P2P

HideMyAss Logging Policy

The company’s policy clearly states that they log the IP address of their users. It also records connection time and the amount of data (bandwidth). While it’s not much, you should give it a second thought before buying HMA. It’s not rare for the police to get access to private data through a VPN and using it to arrest the user(s).

Back in 2011, the company was involved in a scandal. They handed over vital information about their client, a woman who was supposedly hacking the official website of Sony Pictures. She ended up in prison. Then there was another case: a man was accused of harassing his ex, and the cops also came to him with an arrest warrant.

So, if you don’t want to have any problems with the police, HideMyAss won’t be in your list of top-3 VPNs. We could say that law-abiding citizens should not worry. But, there’s no telling what other personal data this company is gathering and how they’re planning on using it later. ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and CyberGhost are some of the best picks for people that put their privacy first.

TOR Compatibility

With the TOR browser, you get additional protection. If you use it with a VPN, you’ll get double layers of security, creating an unbreakable wall of defense. It’s important to note that some experts think this is a waste of resources. The thing is – when you use both the browser and a VPN, performance drops significantly, and HideMyAss is more than capable of protecting your device.

But, if you’re ready to sacrifice a bit of speed for the sake of anonymity, make sure to install TOR and use it with HMA. In the past, there were some problems with using this service with the secure browser. Thankfully, these days, you won’t have any difficulties with running the two together. Though, there might still be some minor issues.

Performance

Along with the security protocols, privacy, and cost, performance is one of the biggest concerns. One of the most apparent reasons for switching from free VPNs to commercial ones is to get more speed. As you’ll learn in the HideMyAss VPN review, the team behind this service made sure not to disappoint the users. You’ll get to enjoy above-average performance even on the most far-away servers.

HideMyAss Speed

Our experts took their time to test HMA in real-world trials to see how it performs. The results were more than satisfying and officially put the service on the pedestal with the best of the best. When browsing the web, torrenting, or streaming a movie/TV series, consistent speed is vital. HideMyAss’s connection (even to servers located on the other continents) is high-speed and trouble-free.

We picked a number of servers in the US, UK, and major European and Asian cities to cover most of the globe. We were impressed by how high and stable the download speed was on the closest servers. Far-away servers also performed well, with above-average results in every single test. As always with VPNs, you might have to scroll through the available servers for a minute or two to find the one(s) that suit you best.

In HideMyAss, it’s easy to switch between servers. For browsing, even 5-10 Mbps is good eno

ugh; for torrenting, however, 30-40 is much better. Streaming is not nearly as demanding – consistency is a bigger issue there. Overall, this network performs better than its rivals on the market and is on par with the fastest (and more expensive) alternatives.

No Leaks Detected

During our tests, there were absolutely no leaks detected with HideMyAss. For privacy and security, this is crucial, since leaks can cause a lot of trouble. We ran the VPN through multiple DNS and WebRTC tests to see whether there could be any leaks, and the results were 100% clear. While most modern-day services do have DNS leak protection, we still had to check to see if that was the case with this one or not.

Torrenting and Streaming

Security and privacy always come first. At the same time, when dealing with a VPN, it’s also necessary to be able to use torrents and access streaming services. With Netflix and its “siblings” introducing strict laws regarding geo-restricted content, it’s getting harder for the providers to excel them. Torrenting, in turn, isn’t officially supported by the majority of products.

They do still support it unofficially, even though there may be some throttling involved. Let us go ahead and take a look at this VPN torrenting features. Then, we will move on to Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and other popular streaming services. The list also includes Kodi, Firestick, and more.

Is Torrenting Allowed?

The short answer – yes, it is. However, you will run into some difficulties along the way and even experience constant throttling (forced speed limitation). Furthermore, with the company keeping logs on its users, it’s not rare for HMA to send warnings to accounts for violating copyright laws. Again: they can (and do) track your online activity, and it’s easy to see that you are downloading torrent files.

That turns HideMyAss into a bad choice for the fans of torrenting. It’s not critical, and you might get away with a couple of warnings. With that said, you can either keep on torrenting and hope for the best or find other VPNs that aren’t nearly as strict. There are other choices for torrenting such as ExpressVPN, Hide.me, and CyberGhost.

What About Netflix?

On the official website, the company boasts that they provide trouble-free access to all the popular streaming services. We put that claim to the test and were happy to learn that it was true. As mentioned, streaming services are trendy these days. Sadly, their policy of geo-restricted content is preventing a massive number of users from enjoying them, and there’s nothing you can do without a VPN.

With HideMyAss, it’s possible to select only the servers that can unblock Netflix and other services, which is a convenient feature. With the UK servers, you can access BBC iPlayer within seconds. The same is true with the US servers and Netflix, Hulu, and HBO. YouTube is also famous for its US-only videos; with HMA, they will become available as well.

This area is volatile. Right now, all the primary services work, but the chances are it may change tomorrow. That is true for all VPNs on the market. Make sure to take advantage of the free trials and check whether the VPN you choose is capable of unblocking or not. Generally, while torrenting is a bit of a challenge, streaming is a lot easier and faster with HideMyAss.

Other Streaming Options

And what about other streaming platforms like Kodi? Yes, Netflix isn’t the only streaming platform, and services like Kodi and Firestick are becoming more popular. HMA has no problem with providing anonymity and accessing Netflix and YouTube. But you need to remember that even if it can be directly integrated into some platforms, with others, you’ll have to do it on your own.

Fire TV and Firestick – Amazon’s leading platforms, don’t officially support HideMyAss. But, you can install it on your router and secure the connection that way. Yes, it isn’t perfect. Still, when you install it directly on the router, it will allow you to protect multiple devices at the same time. And one more thing: make sure the router support VPN protocols – otherwise, it simply won’t work. Currently, Kodi can’t seem to work with HideMyAss.

How Much Does HideMyAss Cost?

As a company with more than a decade of experience, HMA precisely knows how to appeal to the clients. Their pricing policy is smart and affordable. Yes, there are cheaper VPNs on the market, and they’re decent but not as good as this one. Let us take a closer look at the available prices:

1-month plan – $11.99

12-months plan – $83.88 (charged $6.99 monthly) – save 42%

24-months plan – $119.76 ($4.99 monthly) – save 58%

36-months plan – $107.64 ($2.99 monthly) – save 75%

The company offers a 7-day trial. It’s enough to check whether you like it or not. For example, ExpressVPN doesn’t offer a trial at all. However, keep in mind that unless you turn automatic subscription off, your credit card will be charged once those seven days have passed. Also, you can take advantage of the 30-day MBG (Money-Back Guarantee).

And don’t forget to check back with the official website regularly to see if there are any new special deals available. With them, you’ll be able to save a lot of money in the long run.

Customer Service

VPNs aren’t that hard to figure out, but sometimes, you need a helping hand to guide you. The HMA customer service is top-notch and is always ready to give short, simple, and useful tips. Support is available 24/7; plus, there’s a knowledge base that will allow the users to take care of any problems on their own. We were surprised by how fast they react and how little time they need to come up with a solution.

On the official website, you’ll find setup guides, a forum, FAQs, and a live chat. The knowledge base isn’t as fantastic as the one of ExpressVPN, but it’s still enough. The forum isn’t particularly crowded either; the good news is – staff makes sure to answer any questions within hours.

Do We Recommend HideMyAss?

HideMyAss is a very capable Virtual Private Network that is equally great at providing above-average speeds and protection. The privacy policy isn’t very user-friendly, though, and you will have some occasional troubles with downloading torrents. On the other hand, streaming, additional features, impeccable reputation, and attractive pricing turn HideMyAss into an excellent choice.

It might not be the best provider on the market, but it sure is among the top-10. Take a moment to think about the things that you need in a VPN and check whether HMA meets those requirements or not. For most users, privacy is the #1 concern; for others, affordable price-tags and steady performance are crucial. It’s up to you to make the decision.